NOTE: Fast User Switching is the default user screen for both Home and
Professional editions, but is disabled in Windows XP Professional when the
computer is a member of a computer domain.
Microsoft Windows XP includes a new feature that provides multiuser access to a single computer. Fast User Switching, which is available in both the Home and Professional editions, allows users to access the computer with their specific settings, including the desktop and various applications, without requiring the previous user to log off. New users log on and switch from the original user's session to their own. New users can run their desktop and applications without interfering with the original user. When the original user returns, that user can switch back to the desktop and applications with the original settings. All of this is accomplished without the delay of each individual user logging off the computer.
During setup, the computer administrator creates all the accounts that will be used on the computer. (For information on types of accounts and adding new accounts, see "How to Add Users.") When the computer starts, the main user Welcome screen appears with all of the user names. From this screen you select an account and log in to that session.
When a fast user switch occurs, the original user is not logged off the computer as previously happened on other Microsoft operating systems. On Windows XP, the user's logon remains active, but is replaced by the new user. Users can switch between login IDs as often as they want.
However, user applications active during a user switch remain active and running in the background while the new user is working; this can result in a slower computer until the process finishes. For example, if one user is downloading a large file from the Internet and another user logs on to the computer, the file download continues in the background until it is complete.
While most applications continue to run in the background during a Fast User Switch, one exception to this is multimedia applications. Because multimedia applications utilize resources that cannot easily be shared between different users on a single computer, those applications terminate during the user switch, which allows the new user to take full advantage of the multimedia capabilities.
Considerations when using Fast User Switching include:
Some older Windows games may not operate with a fast user switch.
Multimedia games may shut down on a fast user switch.
DVD software shuts down and requires a restart when the user comes back.
Computers with low memory configurations can experience problems. The computer uses memory to keep the first user's programs running in the background while the second user is logged on. On computers with limited memory, this can cause the entire computer to run slowly. Fast User Switching is off by default on computers with less than 128 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM).
Fast User Switching is unavailable if the computer has Windows XP Professional installed and is a member of a computer domain.
You must have a computer administrator account on the computer to turn off Fast User Switching. (For information on types of accounts, see "How to Add Users.")
To disable Fast User Switching, perform the following steps:
Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, click User Accounts.
Under Pick a task, click Change the way users log on or off and do one
of the following:
Select the Use Fast User Switching to log off check box to enable Fast User Switching.
Deselect the Use Fast User Switching to log off check box to disable Fast User Switching.
Only a computer administrator or a user with administrator rights can create multiple user accounts. The individual who performs the initial operating system setup creates a computer administrator account and can add any number of users during the initial setup. All user accounts created during setup have administrator rights.
After initial operating system setup, the computer administrator or a user with administrator rights can create additional user accounts.
To add users, perform the following steps:
Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, click User Accounts.
In the User Accounts window under Pick a Task, click Create a new
account.
In the box under Name the new account, type the name of the new
user. Click Next>.
Under Pick an account type, click the bullet next to the type of
account you are going to create — Computer administrator, Standard,
or Limited.
A computer administrator can change all computer settings.
A standard account user (Windows XP Professional only) can install some programs and hardware.
A limited account user can change only a few settings such as their own password.
Click Create Account.
After the accounts are created, each shows up on the Fast User Switching Welcome screen.
